Updike, Roth, Barth, Irving: their names reverberate in the halls of modern American literature. In this NewsHour program, these four literary icons—along with the highly regarded writers Frank McCourt and Susan Sontag—offer insights into their books and the heady, and sometimes frustrating, process of writing them.

Episodes include…

• Irish Ashes—A Conversation with Frank McCourt: Elizabeth Farnsworth speaks with Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Frank McCourt about his Irish childhood and his best-selling memoir Angela’s Ashes.

• Art of the Story—A Conversation with John Barth: Elizabeth Farnsworth is joined by John Barth, author of epic-length novels and the shortest of short stories, to talk about storytelling and his book On with the Story.

• From Print to Film—A Conversation with John Irving: Elizabeth Farnsworth interviews novelist/screenwriter John Irving on adapting his novels for the cinema, with a focus on The Cider House Rules.

• Wake Up, America—A Conversation with Susan Sontag: “Be serious, be passionate, wake up.” Elizabeth Farnsworth engages writer/photographer Susan Sontag on her book In America.

• Early Years, Early Stories—A Conversation with John Updike: Jeffrey Brown speaks with John Updike about his early career as an author and his anthology The Early Stories: 1953-1975.

• The Plot Thickens—A Conversation with Philip Roth: Jeffrey Brown and author Philip Roth talk about Roth’s novel The Plot Against America.

• Philip Roth—Looking Back: Jeffrey Brown and Philip Roth examine the creative process against the backdrop of Roth’s long and prolific career as a writer of fiction.

(75 minutes)